Powerhouse Principia too much for Woodland boys in semifinal matchup

COLUMBIA — Pitting David versus Goliath in the Class 3 boys basketball semifinals, Woodland couldn’t match up to the mighty one-loss Principia Panthers on Wednesday, March 12, with the Cardinals’ run at gold ending in an 85-50 loss in the opening matchup of the 2025 MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown.

Led by an unstoppable double-double performance from junior guard Quentin Coleman, teetering on the edge of a triple-double, plus another big performance from 6-foot-9 sophomore Sekou Cisse, it became clear early on the Cardinals were matched up with a giant.

Despite its best efforts, rallying back to cut it to a 10-point game late in the first half to force a Principia timeout as Woodland coach Shawn Kinder excitedly ran out to greet his team, Woodland’s fate just seemed predetermined against Principia (30-1).

“We knew coming into it that we were undersized,” Kinder said. “Outmatched at a lot of positions, athleticism-wise and so forth.

“I think some of the guys got going eventually, but we just never got going at the same time.”

On the other side of the ball, Principia coach Jay Blossom, hailing from nearby Hickman High School, seemed quite pleased to be headed to the state championship, eyeing the first state title in school history after a silver finish in 2023.

Shrugging off a slower day from his guys, which should raise a few eyebrows after taking a 35-point victory, he’s ready for another go at the gold.

“We’re going to have to be better tomorrow,” Blossom said. “I’m proud of my guys, this is the first time I've ever been part of a 30-win team. Hopefully, we’ve got one more in us tomorrow night.”

Coleman finished with a game-high 18 points, to go with 11 rebounds and six assists, while Gassim Toure put up 12 points and five boards.

Cisse made his name known with four blocks that took the wind out of the Woodland fan section.

Jackson Shock led Woodland in scoring with 16 points, hitting three 3-pointers, while junior forward Calvin Layton added 10 points and a team-high four rebounds, which he, Shock and Korbin Kinder shared.

Layton also came away with three steals, leading the team in minutes played as he came off the floor for just 60 seconds, while Kinder fouled out early in the fourth quarter.

It’s been an impressive season for Woodland, with some high highs and not-so-low lows, taking games from some of the top teams in Southeast Missouri. On Wednesday, against Principia, however, it seemed Woodland had truly met its match.

Beginning the game on a 7-0 Panthers run, Woodland kept it around the 10-point mark for much of the first half. The aforementioned timeout appeared to indicate a shift in energy, with a pull-up jumper putting the cap on a big Cardinals run.

But Principia can’t be held off normally, which is why even the Sikeston Bulldogs couldn’t defeat the Panthers earlier this season as Sikeston pursues a title of its own in Class 5.

Woodland’s season will come to a head tomorrow, beginning the ultimate culminating piece as the Cardinals’ first appearance at the state championships will end in their pursuit of a third-place trophy.

The Cardinals tip off their final game of the season at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 13, against Thayer, which fell to KIPP KC Legacy 56-49 on Wednesday.

Coach Kinder is ready to bounce back and claim a victory on the final day of the season, and his seniors share that sentiment as they reflected on Day 1 of the Show-Me Showdown.

“I've never played anywhere like this, and I’ve run on the track teams,” Woodland senior Hayden VanGennip said. “I’ve been to state and I've won state personally, but it's nothing like this, going there with the team and having fans in the stands and having people rooting for you.

“I hope tomorrow we'll go out there, we'll play a bit better and really get the stands active and cheering us on.”